The Author's Friends Read Free Page B

that he had the next hour open.  Without hesitating, he picked up the phone and punched in the numbers. 
    “Jason, are you free right now?  I could use some of your expert counseling.”
    *****
    Michael sat in the spacious waiting area checking his smart phone, as Jason opened the door to his office.
    “Michael, it’s always good to see you.  Please come in and have a seat.”
    Jason’s assistant sat at her desk and smiled as the heavy door closed behind them.
    The two men took a seat on opposite ends of the couch.  Michael looked over at Jason and sighed.  “I appreciate you giving me an opportunity to visit on such short notice.”
    “We’re friends, Michael.  I’d do anything for you.”
    “I’ve always tried to keep my ‘iron box’ stored safely away.  But now I have a girlfriend …”
    “We’re talking about Carla, of course.”
    “Yes.  We all need to have dinner together sometime.  I think Jennifer and Carla would get along great.”
    Jason smiled.
    “The two of them could talk about legal matters all night.  Every once in a while, they might let us throw an opinion on the fire,” he joked.  “Jennifer practices criminal law, right?”
    “That’s right, and if I remember correctly, Carla practices real estate law.”
    Michael nodded.
    “But we’re not here to talk about our women, are we?”
    “Jason, we’re both Dominant males.  And I know the popular discussion today is nature vs. nurture when the talk moves into the direction of where our need to be the Dominant or submissive originated.”
    “Not everyone agrees on the answer to that question.  We’re all wired differently.”
    “Well, that’s my worry lately.  I think my wiring could be faulty.”
    “Michael, I’m not sure I understand.  You’re the most grounded person I know.
    “That’s because you don’t know about my family.”
    Jason moved closer on the couch and spoke in a soft voice.  “Since when did you start worrying about your background?”
    “Since I fell in love again and want to be the head of our household.”
    “Why don’t you start by telling me about your family?”
    Michael looked at his watch.  “I don’t think we have time to get into that right now, Jason.  I have an appointment in a half an hour.”
    “Your office is only upstairs.  We have at least fifteen minutes for you to get started …”
    “I’m going to need a lot more time than that, my friend.”
     

BROTHERLY LOVE
     
    “So, when do we get to meet the new guy in your life?” David gently poked his little sister in the arm. 
    “Yeah Carla, don’t you want to introduce him to your big brothers?  You aren’t ashamed of us, are you?” Tom, the middle sibling, smiled as he teased her.
    Carla’s face turned a bright shade of red.  She’d stopped by the family’s business on her way home from work to say hello and get some old fashioned bar counseling.  Of course, there would always be a little ribbing from her siblings.  Theirs was a close-knit family, and she adored her two brothers, who in many ways, helped raise her.  Her mom and dad worked such long hours, that David and Tom took turns caring for her when she was a kid.  Both brothers turned out to be good listeners; it was an occupational requirement when you owned the local watering hole.
    “So what brings you by, besides missing the two of us?”  David wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
    “Of course I miss you, but more importantly, I wanted to discuss plans for Christmas.” 
    Tom looked puzzled.  “Carla, what’s different about this year?  We’ll all get together Christmas Eve at Mom and Pop’s place and then do it again the next day.  What’s there to discuss?  We’ve been doing the same routine all our lives.”
    “I was thinking about bringing Michael this year.  He’s special in my life, and I’d love for him to get to know everyone.”  She paused.  “And I was hoping this would be a good time to tell you about our